UKTV strikes landmark deal with Virgin Media to provide over 10,000 hours of entertainment to its customers

Monday 20 June 2016

Virgin Media customers can enjoy more UKTV content than with any other provider

Glossy on demand TV App, UKTV Play to launch on Virgin Media's TiVo(R) platform, with thousands of hours of UKTV Original, US and BBC series

UKTV, the biggest multichannel broadcaster in Britain, has agreed a landmark deal with Virgin Media, giving Virgin Media customers access to more UKTV shows than on any other pay TV platform in the UK or Ireland.

UKTV will double the number of programmes available to Virgin Media customers, giving subscribers access to more than 10,000 hours of catch-up and box-set content across a range of award-winning UKTV Originals, US and UK acquisitions, and much-loved favourites from the BBC plus ITV and Channel 4. Hit shows include Taskmaster, Nev Calling India, Quantico, Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Only Fools & Horses and Sherlock.

The deal also includes the launch of the updated UKTV Play app on Virgin Media's TiVo platform, allowing Virgin Media customers to watch a wealth of catch-up and box-set titles from UKTV's free-to-air channels Dave, Drama, Yesterday and Really. The wealth of shows available include Wonders of the Solar System, Parks & Recreation, David Starkey's Monarchy and Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled.

Simon Michaelides, UKTV's Chief Commercial Officer, said, "Virgin Media is one of our most valued customers and we're delighted to have partnered with them to expand and enhance our pay TV offer in this way. Virgin Media subscribers now have unique access to the most comprehensive on-demand offer from UKTV anywhere in the market. This step-change in the volume of on-demand content is part of our long term commitment to growth in pay TV and we look forward to expanding on this in the future."

David Bouchier, Chief Digital Entertainment Officer, Virgin Media, said, "Throughout this year we've been expanding the fantastic range of on demand programming which lets our customers watch what they want, when they want. We're delighted to be building on our leadership by giving our customers more UKTV shows than are available on any other platform. With the arrival of the UKTV Play app and the doubling of catch-up content our customers can access more of the entertainment they love in the way they want."

In addition, the broadcaster has expanded the volume of shows available from its pay exclusive channels, Gold, W, Alibi, Good Food and Eden, with brand new episodes from shows such as Murdoch Mysteries, The Strain, The Rebel and Rosewood. Virgin Media customers will also have access to even more box sets of UKTV Originals, including Dave Gorman Modern Life is Goodish, Marley's Ghosts and Hoff the Record, and some of the BBC's best-loved classics such as Doctor Who, Luther, The Office, Death in Paradise and Blackadder.

Following the successful launch of entertainment channel W earlier this year - whose viewership has increased by 19% amongst its target audience since launch - distribution of the channel is also being increased to include Virgin Media Ireland.

Virgin Media customers will be able to enjoy UKTV's enhanced content offering, from later this year.

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About UKTV

UKTV is the biggest multichannel broadcaster in the UK.

The award-winning independent has eleven imaginative brands - UKTV Play, Dave, W, Gold, Alibi, Yesterday, Drama, Really, Home, Eden and Good Food. These include the two most popular non-PSB channels in the UK and account for 9.31% of the British commercial TV market.

The company's most recent financial results showed record-breaking year-end revenue of £283m and EBITDA of £74.1m. It invested £123m in programming and related launches last year, and is becoming an increasingly significant investor in UK creativity.

UKTV has a truly innovative model, curating brand-defining commissions, high-profile acquisitions and the very best of BBC, alongside programmes originally shown on ITV and Channel 4. The network embraces technology to deliver inspired channels to audiences through Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat, Amazon Fire and UKTV Play, and distributes its highly valued original programmes to 200 territories.

Now celebrating its 23rd year at the forefront of digital television, UKTV - an independent commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI) - is proud to be the only British television broadcaster in The Sunday Times top 100 companies list.

About Virgin Media

The company's dedicated, ultrafast network delivers the fastest widely available broadband speeds to homes and businesses. We're expanding this through our £3bn Project Lightning programme, which will reach 17 million premises by the end of 2019.

Our interactive TV service brings live programmes, thousands of hours of on-demand programming and the best apps and games in a set-top box, as well as on-the-go for tablets and smartphones.

We launched the world's first virtual mobile network, offering fantastic value and services. We are also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the UK and Ireland.

Through Virgin Media Business, we support entrepreneurs, businesses and the public sector, delivering the fastest speeds and tailor-made services.

Virgin Media is part of Liberty Global, the world's largest international cable company, with operations in more than 30 countries.